A Rose in the Thorne Bush
by sparkkay
Summary: After leaving several foster homes, Rose and Thorne Bushenelle are the newest addition of Cabin 4, Demeter. Rose and Thorne have only been at Camp Half-Blood for 6 months when they are asked to go on a quest by their Half-Sister Persephone. Hoping to please their sister, Rose and Thorne take Connor Stoll on this quest into the unknown. Will they succeed by the Summer Solstice?


It was a cold and snowy winter. The representatives from Camp-Half Blood stood around Hestia's fiery hearth, watching the Greek Gods and Goddesses. A blonde boy leaned up against the wall in the shadows watching the Campers and a certain God with blonde wispy hair, blue eyes and a charismatic smile. This particular God seemed very young despite his true age as he wore traveling clothes, a funny hat called a Petasus, a tunic and winged sandals. The boy despised the God despite his handsomeness and kind voice, the boy felt neglected by his father and this is why he felt that siding with Kronos was the best plan. Kronos had told the boy that if he should steel Zeus's master bolt and give it to him, the boy would become Kronos' second in command.

"Do not fail me Luke Castellan, Do not fail." Kronos had told Luke the night he had mentioned going to the Winter Solstice. A loud bang interrupted the meeting and Luke's thoughts as everyone looked at the front entrance to see a young girl no older than 13 years old. She had golden tresses and deep brown eyes. She carried a in a smaller younger girl around the age of 11 who had the same golden brown hair as her. The younger girl was bruised and bleeding, and had some sort of cloth was wrapped around her left leg and around her forehead. The older girl had the same type of cloth around her left arm and was limping badly.

'Perfect!' Luke thought. 'I can use this as a diversion to go steal the Bolt and the Helm!' And with that Luke Castellan slipped into the shadows.

Ω

Rose Bushenelle limped into Olympus caring, Thorne her younger sister. She looked around scared and confused but she tried to put on a brave face to show these unknown people that she could be strong despite the danger and harm that had happened to the young girls. Rose collapsed onto the ground in front of the Hearth and around the children. The children started to slowly walk towards them, but Rose used most of her body to shield her sister from them. A tall boy with blonde hair, shaggy sun-kissed skin and hair and athletic surfer type body came up to Rose and Thorne. He looked at Rose first and then stuck the back of his hand out to feel the top of her forehead. Rose flinched. The boy then did the same to Thorne and then he looked at the people sitting in a horseshoe shape.

"She's still alive for now. We're going to need Ambrosia and Nectar stat if we want to keep her alive!" He said barking orders. The men and woman in the chairs did nothing. Said nothing. Rose's temper was starting to rise.

"You heard the kid! Just do something before I lose her!" Rose cried. A woman with Flames for eyes, wavy brown hair and a long cloke sat down beside Rose and whipped a tear away from her eye.

"She'll be alright child, just hand her to me." Rose was hesitant. She didn't want to hand her sister away to some random woman but at this moment she had no choice. She handed Thorne to the lady with the fire eyes and she got up and ran towards the shadows into another hallway. Following the fire eyes woman was the boy with the shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes, a man who looked just like the boy and a 12 year old girl with auburn hair and silver eyes. Rose started to panic when she saw the little girl with a bow and arrow. What was she going to do to Thorne?

"Who are you child?" A booming voice interrupted her thoughts about her sister. Rose looked up to the voice to see a man with long black hair and a long black beard and electric blue eyes that looked full of concern.

"I-I'm Rose. Rose Bushenelle. That-That girl is my sister, my little sister Thorne Bushenelle. Can you help her, she was…"Rose's voice trailed out. How could she explain to these people that her sister was attacked by a Manticore?

"Whatever has hurt your sister, we will believe, we are not ones to judge." The man said. A woman with black hair and hazel eyes snorted and the man glared at her. She shut up quickly.

"A Manticore, sir. A Manticore attacked her. He rammed at us while we we're on our way to our hiding spot. We fought back but he got her before he disappeared into the mist. That's never happened to us before; normally we have to kill them before they come back." Rose replied. The man just nodded then leaned forward in his seat.

"Have you ever met your parents?" He asked. What a strange random question.

"No, our father died shortly after Thorne was born and we have no memories of our mother what so ever. We've been house hopping from foster family to foster family for 7 years now until we stopped because of the monsters. We got a letter from our last foster family that we we're supposed to get when I hit 18 but…he gave it to us before we left. Apparently we are half Greek and half human. Is this why the monsters follow us? Because of the Greek inside us?" Rose asked.

The man smiled and said; "You look quite like your mother, little Rose." He said motioning towards the young woman with golden tresses and brown eyes. The woman sat proud on her throne of wheat stocks and flowers. She waved her hand and an ear of wheat was above her head.

"What does this mean?" Rose asked as the woman left to go down the hallway that the others went down.

"You have been claimed by you Godly parent, Demeter Goddess of Agriculture." The man said "Could you guess who I am?"

Rose thought for a moment. "Zeus." Zeus smiled.

"Well Rose do not worry your sister will live if the two of you are anything like your mother." Zeus said as the blonde boy ran into the room.

"So, it's true then? Cabin 4 gets two new members? Well damn." The boy said. He turned to face Rose. "She's asking for ya, Demeter and the little Thorne. She's doing fine and healing quickly but as soon as we get to camp half-blood, she is to be taken to the infirmary for further healing." He told Rose. Zeus just nodded.

"Well, Let us continue with the meeting!" Zeus said once Demeter, fire eyes and the little girl returned with Thorne on crutches. Rose sat down on a column with Thorne beside her. Rose felt like she could sleep when a boy with a mop of curly brown hair and blue eyes came and sat down beside them. He smiled weakly and offered Rose a glass of a golden liquid.

"Its Nectar don't worry." He said. Rose took the drink and sipped it. It tasted like honey nut cheerios. She was surprised about the sweet taste of the warm liquid. The boy smiled and stuck his hand out. "I'm Connor Stoll, Child of Hermes. My other brother Travis is back at Camp and then Luke is around here somewhere…Oh well." Rose was confused by what Connor was saying. Were there more children of Hermes? Hermes had children? All Rose's life she was obsessed with Greek Mythology and she knew that the Gods liked to…fool around with mortals and have half-children but she never knew it was true. "I know it's shocking at first but it gets better. You'll like Camp Half-Blood, it's a lot of fun and if you hang out with Travis and me, it's a lot more fun." Connor said giving Rose a twisted grin. Rose looked around at all the other kids talking and laughing and being with each other. 'Maybe this is our new family.' Rose thought as she looked down at her sleeping sister. 'Yeah, a new family.'


End file.
